Colorado’s Largest Drug Rehab Center Closes Doors

As of January 2, 2018, Colorado’s largest drug rehab center closes its doors despite attempts to recoup financial losses. The closure leaves many citizens in the Centennial state without adequate access to addiction recovery treatment.

On Friday, December 15, Arapahoe House announced that all eight of the centers in its drug rehab network will close January 2nd. In advance of the closure, none of the locations are accepting new clients.

Arapahoe House currently operates drug rehab facilities across Colorado, including locations in Denver and Aurora. The nonprofit organization has been in operation for over four decades. Currently, an estimated 5,000 people receive substance abuse recovery treatment through the Arapahoe House facilities.

Unfortunately, Arapahoe House has suffered from significant financial losses in recent years. Last year, the network of substance abuse treatment centers reported that expenses exceeded revenue by $3.5 million, despite the fact that detox services were no longer offered in 2016 in an attempt to cut costs.

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While financial reserves were used to keep the nonprofit afloat as long as possible, the vast majority of patients at the facilities are low-income, and it had been years since the addiction recovery treatment provider earned enough money to cover the cost of operation.

While $12 million was made available to treat substance abuse by a 2015 state law, and the state received more than $15 million in federal funds since 2016 thanks to new federal law, more money is needed to adequate fund substance abuse recovery treatment in the state. However, the Trump administration’s unofficial declaration that the opioid crisis was a public health emergency does not dedicate any new funds toward addiction recovery treatment.

The opioid crisis has taken a significant toll on the state, last year 228 people overdosing on heroin in Colorado, and admissions to substance abuse treatment facilities increasing 50% over the course of the year. With no sign of relief, the closure of Arapahoe House will exacerbate an already unmanageable situation.